The federal government is demanding the Attawapiskat First Nation pay back $1.8 million after an audit determined the band could not account for the money that was supposed to be spent on housing.
The audit was completed in April of this year, and was recently posted on a government website.
h/t Orville
National Post: Chief’s $800,000 payment was in exchange for abandoning large portion of land claim, document confirms
An elderly B.C. First Nations chief and his ex-wife, along with one of their sons and a grandson, received more than $4.1-million in remuneration over the past four years.
Shuswap First Nation Chief Paul Sam, 80, gets a tax-free salary that has averaged $264,000 over that period to run a tiny reserve near Invermere, a resort community near the Alberta border.
The Shuswap have 267 members, of whom just 87 live on the reserve.
Justice Gethin Edward of the Ontario Court of Justice suggested physicians essentially want to “impose our world view on First Nation culture.” The idea of a cancer treatment being judged on the basis of statistics that quantify patients’ five-year survival rate is “completely foreign” to aboriginal ways, he said.
“Even if we say there is not one child who has been cured of acute lymphoblastic leukemia by traditional methods, is that a reason to invoke child protection?” asked Justice Edward, noting that the girl’s mother believes she is doing what is best for her daughter.
“Are we to second guess her and say ‘You know what, we don’t care?’ … Maybe First Nations culture doesn’t require every child to be treated with chemotherapy and to survive for that culture to have value.”
More from Jonathan Kay.
h/t Kevin B
A list of reports on missing and murdered Aboriginal women. All forty of them.
h/t Orville
Idle No More Co-Founder Nina Wilson Praises Zimbabwe Dictator Robert Mugabe. (h/t Kevin B)
So stop paying them: One week after a new legal deadline, nearly two-thirds of Canada’s First Nations have not yet provided Ottawa detailed financial information – including how much chiefs and councillors are paid.
The chief of a British Columbia First Nation with 81 residents earned nearly $1 million last year:
Performing for their American paymasters; B.C. band now lays claim to water off Northern Gateway pipeline after success in court over rights to land.
British Columbia First Nations are wasting no time in enforcing their claim on traditional lands in light of a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision recognizing aboriginal land title.
The hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan First Nations served notice Thursday to CN Rail, logging companies and sport fishermen to leave their territory along the Skeena River in a dispute with the federal and provincial governments over treaty talks.
And the Gitxaala First Nation, with territory on islands off the North Coast, announced plan to file a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Appeal on Friday challenging Ottawa’s recent approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta.
The Kwikwetlem First Nation also added its voice to the growing list, claiming title to all lands associated with now-closed Riverview Hospital in Metro Vancouver along with other areas of its traditional territory.
No, not their money. The Supreme Court’s money.
h/t Kevin B.
Now is the time at SDA when we juxatpose!
Assembly of First Nations, May 16th;
“Today’s RCMP report reaffirms the magnitude of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada and clearly indicates the urgent need for action by many different players, including First Nations, governments, police services and others,” said AFN Regional Chief Alexis, who leads the AFN work in the area of justice and policing.
“We had the blessing of the chief, we had the blessing of the organization to come in and do a review,” said Pringle. “Then when I go out to Yorkton a week ago, I’m told by the FSIN that, ‘You’re an outsider. You don’t have any jurisdiction here. And we don’t have to talk to you and we’re not going to accept your report.'”
h/t Norm
The new chief of Roseau River First Nation has evicted the managers and staff at the Red Sun gas bar, saying revenue from the lucrative operation belongs to the band, not Terry Nelson’s family.
An eviction notice was posted on the door of the gas bar, located on Highway 6 just north of Winnipeg, Wednesday evening. Staff were sent home and security guards now occupy the shop.
At least four RCMP cruisers were there, but the eviction was peaceful. […]
Nelson’s daughter runs much of the operation along with former premier Gary Doer’s brother.
That would be this Terry Nelson.
h/t Allen Lasko
Three years ago, flooding forced hundreds of residents from their homes on Manitoba’s Lake St. Martin First Nation reserve.
The reserve was condemned, dozens of houses slated for demolition, and many residents have been living in hotels ever since.
Ottawa paid nearly $2 million to destroy the homes. But CTV has learned that as many as 40 of the buildings were lifted from their foundations, moved elsewhere and sold for about $20,000 each.
In some cases, the sold homes still contained their former residents’ belongings.
[…]
“That buyer told me he bought it from the Lake St. Martin chief,” Beardy said. “He admitted he bought it from Lake St. Martin chief, but he wouldn’t tell us how much and who pocketed the money.”
h/t TimR
Clayton Kennedy, former Attawapiskat co-manager, charged with fraud.
In his private life, Kennedy is also the partner of Attawapiskat Chief Teresa Spence.
That’s the sound of politicians scurrying for cover.
“Vehicles were bought, quads, horses and travel trailers, these were the things the chief David Sandfly bought and still spending on and we have no money for payroll or social assistance.”
h/t Kevin B
And one more Ontario family has learned the great lesson of Caledonia: You are your own police force.
h/t Kevin B
Friday night funnies. Well, maybe terribly little–sort of reminds one of Being and Nothingness, as it were:
1) Low-Information Leadership
2) Those Who Can’t, Govern
3) Obama’s self conception vs. Obama’s reality
All rather existential, eh? Or, hopey changey, what? I’m a Camus man myself. More on Jean-Paul:
Some people definitely think so:
“I think about the campaign every single day, and what a shame it is who we have in the White House,” said Spencer Zwick, who worked as Romney’s finance director and is a close friend to his family. “I look at things happening and I say, you know what? Mitt was actually right when he talked about Russia, and he was actually right when he talked about how hard it was going to be to implement Obamacare, and he was actually right when he talked about the economy. I think there are a lot of everyday Americans who are now feeling the effects of what [Romney] said was going to happen, unfortunately.”
